The Cost of Nine Stars

My entire life revolved around a sacred power that cost me a piece of my soul every time I used it.

Nine star-like birthmarks on my forearm, each fading after I resurrected Ethan, the adoptive brother I believed had saved me.

I had brought him back from the dead nine times, from drug overdoses to twisted car wrecks, each revival leaving me more hollowed out.

But today, standing in a reeking stable, the ultimate degradation struck as Ethan, now a desperate heir, demanded I perform my vanished miracle on a dead racehorse for his crooked deal.